Improved buckle



UNITED STATES PATENT CDEEIGE.

A. H. HOPKINS, OF GOSHEN, INDIANA.

IMPRovED BUCKLE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 69,669, dated OctoberI8, 1867.

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To all 'whom it may concern Be it known that I, A. E. HOPKINS, ofGoshen, in the county of Elkhart and State of Indiana, have `invented anew and -useful Improvement in Buckles; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and eX- act description thereof, which willen able others skilled in the art to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of myimproved double buckle, taken in the line ee se,

Fig. 2, showing also the manner of connecting the ends of two straps.Fig. 2 is a view of one of the flat sides.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

This invention relates to an improved plan of construction in metalbuckles for harnessleathers or straps of any kind and consists iuforming a rectangular buckle with two tongues,

one at each end,hun g upon a center bar on opposite sides in oppositedirections,and each tongue provided with a tuck-loop for the end of thestrap. The advantage of this double buckle is that the ends of twostraps may be fastened together with it by passing them through thebuckle in opposite directions and securing the straps by the tongues onthe opposite sides and ends of the buckle, instead of being fastened tothe end of one of the straps,like a single buckle, or instead of`sewing' the buckle on the strap in the usual Way, as shown in Fig. 1.

A further advantage of a buckle of my improved construction consists informing a loop on the end of a strap to which it is attached by turningthe strap back upon itself and passing it through the buckle inreverseposition, as shown in Fig. 3, thus, by means of a single buckle,and without sewing on eXtra straps, allowing bridle-reins ordriving-lines to be connected with the bits of the harness and with eachother. Thus, indeed, all parts of harness can be connected, taken up, orlengthv ened by a movable buckle, without sewing and extra Hap-straps,and disposing also entirely with leather loops employed, whereby greateconomy is effected in the cost of the harness, and great convenienceinhandlingit is secured.

The buckle A is made in oblong shape, like' two ordinary buckles, unitedon a common cross-bar, a, in the middle, to form a double buckle. Thetongues b bare both hung on the center cross-bar a, either upon separatepivots or on the same pivot, so that their points shall lift and catchupon the opposite ends and sides ofthe buckle against the crossbars d d,and thus be reversed in their position and operation.

0n each side are tuck-loops c e, for receiving and holding down the endsof the straps, in the manner of ordinary leather loops on the strapitself when single buckles are used.

It will be seen that the ends of two straps may be introduced in theopposite ends of my improved double buckle, and thus be fastenedtogether securely, without sewing either the buckle itself or the loop,and it may be adjusted at any distance from the ends of a strap, asshown in Fig. 1, and that the end of a strap to which the buckle hasbeen attached may be turned back and passed through the outer end of thebuckle to form a loop and be held by the tongue on the opposite side,and thence passed under the tuck-loops c on the same side of the buckle.The loop thus formedvwill connect bridle-reins and drivinglines with therings of bits, lengths may be changed and adjusted to t as desired veryreadily, and the position of the buckle may be shifted to change thepoint ot' wear of the loop, and thus save the strap where it commonlyfails first.

It will be observed, therefore, that the buckle thus formed, withtongues and tuck-loops on opposite sides, performs the double oflice ofconnecting two straps and of forming a loop on the end of one strap, towhich it is attached, fitting it for service on every strap connectionof a harness, so as to dispense with sewing for the purpose, andeffecting a great saving ot' leather.

H aving described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent-.-

A harness-buckle, formed lwith two tongues, b b, hung in' the middle inopposite directions, to lift and catch on the opposite flat sides ot'the frame against the cross-bars d d, and provided with tuck-loop's c con each side, substantially as and for the purposes herein described.

A. H. HOPKINS.

Witnesses:

J. B. CARROLL, JACOB J. SMITH.

